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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rule — government
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bank — of a river
  5. track — a song
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rule — a law
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mate — a friend
  19. degree — from a university
  20. track — to keep track
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — an amount

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com